Tag: Entertainment

Imagine turning your home into the bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise, where a disembodied voice deftly answers every question you can ask, and you don’t carry an iPhone or iPad anymore. Unfortunately, you also can’t unlock your doors, you can’t go outside, the brands you like are replaced with generic alternatives, and popular games, creative apps and other content aren’t available anymore. This is the fantasy future of Amazon Alexa–but fortunately not the vision of Apple’s new HomePod.AppleInsider – Frontpage News

HomePod is a sophisticated computer dedicated to the task of producing immersive, room-filling sound. That’s not all it can do, however. Equipped with the same A8 processor as Apple TV 4, it can also serve as a HomeKit hub for choreographing home accessories, even enabling remote access to your devices. Here’s an in-depth look.AppleInsider – Frontpage News

First off I want to thank Sony Mobile for letting me join Furumi-san on stage at MWC 2018. The XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are incredible devices packed with features, but what really excites me is screen technology, in particular, their HDR displays.

In the 27 years I’ve worked at Sony I have seen dramatic improvements in picture quality, from analog VHS to digital DVD, Standard Definition to High Definition, and now the availability of High Dynamic Range in place of Standard Dynamic Range.

As I mentioned today, when people see HDR for the first time you can see their eyes widen. It’s easy to see why, HDR provides a means of delivering pictures that look “real” because image fidelity has reached a new level.

One of the best things about a company like Sony is that our technology reaches from end to end. Sony products start at the camera lens on the film set and continue all the way to living room. Now, with Xperia smartphones, you can see extraordinary pictures from the camera lens accurately realized in the palm of your hand.

And because they are Sony products it means those pictures really are extraordinary. It’s a mistake to think all HDR is created equal. A given camera can capture an image in an HDR format and a display can decode the HDR picture, but unless the devices are made with adequate quality and precision, the result will be sub-par. You can easily witness this fact in today’s televisions. A 65″ TV can be purchased for five times the cost of a cheaper model of the same size, but the cheaper device will not impress you with HDR.

I know there are doubters out there who wonder if this kind of screen tech is really needed in a mobile device. The reality is that HDR performance is independent of screen size. On a 65” TV in your living room or a 5.7” Xperia XZ2 in your pocket, the difference HDR delivers in terms of quality is unmistakeable.

Of course, it’s not just about watching content, this has implications for capturing quality as well. Mobile devices are great for sharing pictures and video with others. With the ability to shoot in HDR (supported natively by YouTube), you can make your content stand out from the ordinary.

I hope you will enjoy watching and creating cutting edge images with Xperia smartphones that bring a level of realism never seen before – I know I will.

Jon Norris, senior director of marketing at Panasonic Avionics, talks Internet of Business through the kind of in-flight entertainment experience that forward-looking airlines should aim to give their passengers.

NEW CONNECTIONS

An occasional series of vendor perspectives on the world of connected business – because it’s all about making new connections and starting new conversations.

At home, on-demand film and TV services and boxset bingeing have transformed our viewing habits. But when it comes to in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC), today’s passenger experience can either be a smooth journey or a bumpy ride. So much depends on the chosen airline, the aircraft deployed, and the equipment onboard.

The goal of most airlines, however, is to move in-flight entertainment much closer to the on-demand experience that passengers enjoy at home, according to Jon Norris, senior director of marketing at Panasonic Avionics. They want to offer the same choice, easy navigation, and flexibility to flit between content.

Passenger engagement

“It’s a matter of passenger engagement,” he says. “Developments in terrestrial film and television content, coupled with the pace of change in consumer electronics, mean that passenger expectations are extremely high. So for every airline today, a big priority is bringing a world of on-demand, real-time digital entertainment onboard.

“It’s a big part of showing passengers that they matter to an airline, and it’s an important factor in keeping them loyal to that carrier.”

When Norris says ‘real time’, he means it: Panasonic provides airlines with a global live in-flight television service, eXTV, so that passengers never miss out even if they’re at 30,000 feet. The service allows them to keep up to speed on current affairs and major sporting events, with coverage from big names such as Al Jazeera, BBC World News, and CNN.

This eXTV service can be delivered to a passenger’s seat-back screen or to their own mobile device.

And this brings us to multi-screening, another habit from home that airlines are keen to bring onboard. For example, a passenger might want to keep track of the Wimbledon final on their seat-back, while catching up on work emails on their laptop, connected to the inflight WiFi. At the same time, they might be using a messaging app on their smartphone to make arrangements for when they land.

Getting personal

A key element of engagement is personalisation, says Norris: making sure that each passenger has access to the kinds of content they enjoy the most, perhaps via a personalised playlist they’ve compiled ahead of their trip, courtesy of the airline’s app.

“Once on board, they can simply pair their mobile device with the IFEC system to take advantage of the entertainment they’ve lined up for themselves,” says Norris, adding that playlists can be saved and resumed on the next flight.

Usage data is at the heart of this personalisation, he explains. In simple terms, information about what passengers choose to watch can be used to create recommendations about other content they might enjoy, in just the same way that services like Netflix and Hulu keep viewers coming back for more, with suggestions that are tailor-made to their preferences.

This could save money for airlines too, says Norris. “With data and analytics, it’s possible to see what entertainment content has low viewership and remove it from the system, resulting in reduced licensing fees.

Over time, he expects more airlines to move away from the practice of block-purchasing content, and towards payment based on individual views – a trend that’s already taking off.

In short, it’s clear that what passengers expect from IFEC is an experience that’s welcoming, familiar, and personal – and it’s likely that, where possible, they’ll choose the airline that best delivers that experience.

Disclosure: Panasonic is a Partner at Internet of Business’ Internet of Aviation event later this year.

Coming later this year: Our annual Internet of Aviation event will take place on 30 & 31 October 2018, at the Sofitel London Heathrow. Attendees from airlines, airports, and air traffic control organisations, along with retail and OEM partners, will convene to discuss the IoT from the perspectives of both passenger experience and operational efficiency. Welcome onboard.

Recognized by Hollywood insiders, digital influencers and industry leaders throughout the world as a “must-attend” event, now in its 5th year Digital Entertainment World (DEW) is fast approaching.

And it’s “where you want to be if you are in the business of creating or monetizing digital entertainment content,” event organizers say.

DEW 2018 focuses on “The FUTURE of…” and will cover topics from OTT to Innovation to eSports to Content Marketing to VR/AR to Music Rights to Startups, etc., as this theme guides the talks, discussions, meetings and presentations over the two days. This year’s event will be held in the hip and modern Marina del Rey Marriott just steps from the beach and located in the heart of LA’s thriving Silicon Beach with easy access to Santa Monica, Venice and Playa Vista. The event includes keynotes, fireside chats, presentations, panel discussions, tech demos, startup competition, innovative exhibitions, daily DJ music and performers and the best networking in the hotel’s Sinder Lounge.

“2018 DEW focuses on the most important developments shaping entertainment and media today from media consolidation to cord cutting to the challenges facing digital publishers,” said Ned Sherman, DEW Chair and Counsel & Director of Manatt Digital. “By bringing together the key stakeholders at the intersection of content and technology, we provide a first-class platform for deal making and partnership development.”

DEW includes more than 75 unique sessions and 200 speakers on topics essential to the future of video, music, brands, marketing, gaming, AR/VR, and AI.

Bandai Namco Entertainment just announced a new One Piece mobile game. One Piece: Bounty Rush will be coming to the West on iOS and Android this year. As expected it is a free to play game and it will feature 4v4 team based multiplayer action. The aim is to collect more berries than the opposition through multiple routes and using various gimmicks. Unlike Final Fantasy that feels like it has a new mobile game every few weeks, Bandai Namco Entertainment has been slower with One Piece mobile games. Watch the announcement trailer for Bounty Rush below:

This is a team based multiplayer battle game and of course there’s a class or character type system here. The Fighter type can overwhelm foes briskly while the Warrior is a tank like character. The aptly named Supported provides support through skills and the remaining two types are Shooter who is a ranged type and Swordsman that is a close range character type.

Bandai Namco Entertainment has begun pre-registrations for One Piece: Bounty Rush as of today through Facebook and Google Play. Depending on the number of likes on the Facebook page and pre-registrations on Google Play, rewards will be decided ranging from Rainbow Diamonds to Ingredient Packs and even 4-Star Shanks for use in game. Pre-register on Google Play here and Facebook here.

The official English website for it is also live. Until Bounty Rush releases, read our review of the latest One Piece game here.

Philips used this week’s CES to announce a series of software-related upgrades to its Hue lighting system, including the immediate launch of Hue Entertainment, and new apps for both desktop and mobile devices.AppleInsider – Frontpage News

It's been almost two years since consumer VR arrived with the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. And we've also seen great mobile VR options like Samsung's Gear VR and Google's Daydream View. While we've seen plenty of compelling games and exper…Engadget RSS Feed

Roku on Wednesday announced new software and a licensing agreement for OEMs to develop smart speakers, soundbars and multiroom audio systems that will allow customers to control their home entertainment devices with simple voice commands. The company also introduced Roku Entertainment Assistant, a new smart speaker technology that allows customers to use voice commands on supported Roku-enabled devices. Roku has entered an agreement with TCL, its main technology partner, to roll out the first device under the new home entertainment partnership.TechNewsWorld

Once again, the year is winding down, and everybody under the sun is looking back at the past year’s news and culture as if the world began on January 1st, 2017. But while the hype cycle operates in tidy annual waves, our lives don’t. As part of our usual look back at our favorite things of the year, we’re acknowledging the things we loved in 2017 that didn’t come out in 2017, and talking about how those new-to-us discoveries and late-arrival favorites got us through another tumultuous year.

Fallout 4

I tend to stockpile video games I’m interested in, only jumping in later when the impulse (and free time) strikes. The downside is that I’m years behind any cultural conversation about a title. The upside is that playing a game after the…